India working on 3 types of small modular reactors: Union minister

Union minister Jitendra Singh has said India's nuclear scientists are working on three types of new reactor technologies to realise the plan of rolling out small modular reactors in the next decade. 

Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science and Technology, and Earth Sciences told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that three reactor technologies -- 200 MW and 55 MW Pressurised Water Reactors and 5 MW Indian Gas Cooled Reactors -- were being developed and the government plans to roll out a fleet of Bharat Small Reactors to meet its green energy target. 

In the Union Budget, the government said India aimed to produce 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 and half of it would be met by the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). 

Singh shared plans to make prototype demonstration reactors for establishing technology for the design, construction and operation of new reactors before commercial deployment. 

He said the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) was a completely indigenous Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) that can be deployed as a captive plant for energy-intensive industries such as aluminium, steel and metal. 

"The Small Modular Reactor (SMR) 55 MWe is also a Pressurised Water Reactor with a highly modular block type design. Exclusion zone for this reactor is not beyond plant boundary," Singh said. 

"These reactors are suitable for providing energy for remote as well as off-grid locations with the objective to decarbonise the energy sector," the minister said. 

Singh said the conceptual design of the Indian Gas Cooled Reactor (IGCR) (5 MWth) was being carried out. "The high-temperature reactor will be coupled with plant utilising thermo-chemical process for demonstration of hydrogen production for decarbonisation of transport sector and process industries," he said. 

Singh said demonstration units of these reactors are planned to be installed at Department of Atomic Energy sites. 

"These demonstration reactors are likely to be constructed in 60 to 72 months after receipt of project sanctions," he said.

Singh said the Rs 20,000 crore allocated in Union Budget-2025 was for the development of five indigenous SMRs by 2033.